Non-Sequitur

I regularly peruse the Sunday comics for quick laughs and a bit of nostalgia from my younger days of fighting family members to see who got to them first.  Just over a week ago Wiley Miller published an offer to his readers to write their own story.  The sheer variety of characters displayed and variety of terrains gave me the idea of a meeting of people that can travel between parallel universes in the multiverse.

The time for the meeting of the Multiverse Traveler's League had arrived at last. This is a chance for individuals, groups, and civilizations that have managed to acquire the ability to cross between parallel universes to gather together. Some travelers use technology, others take advantage of focused mental discipline and mental energies to break the barriers between worlds. A handful even managed to accidentally trip between worlds without any effort at all. Regardless of the method used for traveling between all the facets of the multiverse, everyone that can reach the meeting location is invited to attend.

The gathering took place every 25 years on a different planet in a different universe. This time around it was to be hosted on a terraformed moon of Saturn in a universe designated as 7775-349x10.012/Acorn. The gaseous planet with its rings and multiple moons rising over the horizon gave attendees of the meeting a spectacular view, regardless of the range of their visual spectrum.

Terraforming of the moon had been completed just for this trans-universal event. Environments had been developed for the comfort of attendees from multiple planets and evolutionary chains. Humid jungles rose up next to giant seas. Methane pools bubbled near barren deserts. The frozen peaks of giant mountains soared into the skies, piercing clouds of freezing nitrogen. Plains of ice and frozen grasses lay under a layer of crystalline snow. Everything that could make any kind of being comfortable was put in place.

Areas and routes had been laid out for a multitude of transportation methods and devices. Boats cut through the surf to reach platforms for their captains to disembark. Tracks had been laid for those wishing to arrive via train. No method of travel was too elaborate or too simple for those that crossed from one universe to another. The security forces even had their own custom floating blimps that moved easily in the medium gravity and minimal atmospheric winds.

While bipedal beings that walked upright were the most common members of the MTL, they were not the only evolved beings that had appeared by far. Long sea serpents swam through oceans that teemed with other life, then moved to worlds with seas covered in a planet-wide sheet of ice. Birds with wings as thin as tissue paper glided on breezes over planets as numerous as their feathers. Giant intelligent bears soaked up the sun that beat down on their fur from as many suns as they could find.

There was no lack of events and occurrences at the meeting. Explorers take advantage of audiences to expand on new discoveries made and unusual variations on recognized planets that were stumbled upon. Panels are formed for to aid new adventurers in increasing the efficiency of their method for getting from one universe to the next, whether it be via technological device or thought power. Representatives of different groups and organizations gathered together to discuss various rules and regulations and develop laws to govern the members of the MTL. This last group was generally the least productive and still most entertaining to watch.

All of these different beings from various worlds and universes arrived via numerous methods to this customized moon. Their ultimate goal being a golden pyramid transmitting a powerful light into the sky under and inside which they would all socialize and speak of their shared abilities to cross the unbreakable barriers that separate one universe from another.

If the link above didn't work, here is the comic itself to inspire a story of your own.  

What can the Noah do?

Stories with holiday themes abound this time of year.  Children being shown the true meaning of Christmas, adults renewing their belief in humanity and Santa, the cold weather bringing wintry characters to life.  Sometimes it's nice to get away from all of these types of tales and read something that doesn't relate to gifts, snow, or families singing carols.  With that in mind I present a continuation of the tale I wrote about twice before, the alien race known as the Noah.

I have made one adjustment since my last post set in this universe.  I changed the name of the aggressive reptilian race from Drag'korn to Drag'kun.  It keeps the similarity to "dragon" that I wanted without being as clumsy.

The first signals from the Noah weren't received by fields of SETI dishes, military tracking stations, or scientific radio telescopes.  A boy trying to expand the frequencies his satellite television receiver picked up in an attempt to get free adult channels was suddenly bombarded with multiple video images and several audio feeds simultaneously.  History would never know of this, the onslaught to his senses triggered an epileptic seizure.  He wouldn't remember any of what he saw or heard, even after others began noticing the signal and word of it quickly spread across social media and news media stations.

Pundits and self-titled experts argued and debated about the import of the signal.  Governments rushed to dispatch personnel to investigate the sites the Noah mentioned as proof of their statements.  This was accomplished at a pace only slightly faster than some civilians realized they might become rich if they were the first to posses whatever items made up this proof.  More debates and arguments arose as the proof was located and the reality of the Noah was verified.

Churches were filled beyond their capacity as devout parishioners and rare visitors rushed to seek answers from their pastors and other religious leaders.  Many streets were empty as other people sat in clusters around their televisions, enraptured by screens displaying split views of the Noah's message and statements from government officials.  Different countries each declared their people were more worthy and their voices should be heard over the citizens of other nations.  Very few people were taking note of the deadline mentioned in the Noah's message as discussions were held regarding what should be done and who was responsible for doing it.

Approaching the Earth, the Noah observed the multiple signals bouncing across and around the planet as the humans conversed.  Centuries of observation and study had taught the Noah much patience.  They exercised this patience as they waited for a response from the planet.  As it was obvious the words vastly outnumbered any actions, no response was immediately expected.

Unseen by either the ship or the planet, a small pod with practically no emissions drifted into the system on a calculated ballistic trajectory.  It was an advanced scout sent by the Drag'kun.  Travelling at a speed near that of light, the scout pod would be able to pick up the signals between Earth and the Noah before being detected.  The commander of the pod's crew would quickly interpret these signals and relay them with his notes to the approaching fleet still some distance outside the Oort cloud of the solar system.  The fleet would use this data to determine how best to continue their approach.  There was no doubt an attack would happen, it was only the number and types of ships to use that was to be determined.  Too many ships and the spoils of war would be spread too thin between the attackers.  Too few ships and the captains of the fleet would become bored before reaching another target rich system and begin to fight amongst themselves.

While I do have a lot of hope for the future of humanity, I do believe that current society would do heaps of talking during a global discovery like this before any action would actually take place.  Of course, the infinite possibilities of the universe means that Earthlings may not have sole possession of this particular trait.

Post-Creation Coma

Another November has come to a close.  The National Novel Writing Month has finished for another year.  Thirty days where every free second is filled with writing, composing, and creating.  A month of reviewing outlines, defining characters, setting scenes, and creating just the right mood.  Mornings shift into afternoons, which then change into evenings and nights without notice.  Nights pass without sleep as ideas form and are molded and shaped before being put into place.  The deadline passing by means the steady writing can be put on hold, but the process is far from finished.  With the arrival of December 1st, a brief breath can be taken before the hard work truly begins.

The small number of days and large number of words in the challenge force an author to write at a pace that doesn't allow more than basic editing on the fly.  Many critical questions must be left for later consideration.  Does this scene work?  Should the affections between these characters be more overt or subdued?  Would it be more effective if the readers loved this person more before I kill them off?  What words or phrases can I use to increase the emotional impact of this passage?  All of these factors can take weeks or months of reading, tweaking, and rereading to get a novel to come out just right.

The holiday season is a great time to get out and remind myself what the outside world looks like.  It will be relaxing to participate in activities that don't require too much mental strain.  I can gaze at lights and admire decorations while refilling my creative juices.  It will certainly ease my exhausted mind to sing along with joyous songs heard so many times the lyrics are practically ingrained in my DNA.  Now, where did I leave that remote control?

Creative Games

It is 19 days into NaNoWriMo.  There are 11 days of writing left to reach the 50,000 word goal.  While it doesn't look like I will reach that lofty mark, I will continue to strive towards it.  Unfortunately, this means I have to focus on my work in progress, a sequel to my first novel.  Instead of a story idea, here are some games you can play with friends and or family members to improve everyone's storytelling skills.  Maybe have some fun at the same time.


Once Upon a Time by Atlas Games:  This card game contains elements from the fairy tale world.  Players play cards as they use the elements to tell a story.  The winner is the one that ends the story with an Ending Card.  Stories can be interrupted by other players at any time in order to change the tale or reach their own ending.  Variations are available to form tales of the high seas or adventures of knights and chivalry.

Role Playing Games:  Once firmly planted in deep basements and only enjoyed by groups of lonely nerds, role playing games have risen in scope and popularity.  The games are more than just the rolling of dice and the moving of model pieces around a map.  The Dungeon Master, or other teller of the tale, must create an adventure that entertains the players while keeping in line with the rules of the universe in which the game is set.  Individual players must help to keep the story alive with the actions of their own characters in the various situations.

Munchkin by Steve Jackson Games:  On its face, Munchkin is a card game that enjoys making fun of traditional role playing games.  Players take turns "kicking down" doors and fighting the monsters that may appear.  Other players can help or hinder either combatant in the battle.  While gameplay doesn't immediately lend itself to the formation of a story, players can still use the elements of play to come up with a fantastic story.

Gloom by Atlas Games:  Gloom is another card game by Atlas Games. However, unlike Once Upon a Time, this game does not end happily ever after.  Each player has a family of five characters they are responsible for.  The object of the game is for each player to make their family as miserable as possible before killing them off.  The misery comes in the form of playing cards that cause the characters to be Menaced by Mice, Jynxed by Gypsies, Widowed at the Wedding, or Marooned on the Moors.  The game can be played in a simple manner, but using the elements on the cards to tell a story can add a smile to all the players' faces.


These games can all be used to have a little fun while stretching your creative muscles.  If you know of any other card or board games that can be used to tell a story, let everyone know in the comments.

Different Strokes of the Pen

NaNoWriMo is in full swing.  A month full of writers summoning forth characters from the endless worlds that occupy their imaginations.  Lives are created.  They begin and end with the stroke of a pen or press of a letter on a keyboard.  Worlds are created and environments come into being.  There are adventures to be had and enemies to be defeated.  Broad fields of story and plot lay before the creative mind.

There are any number of obstacles that must be hurdled when writing a story, whether it be a short read or a multi-chapter novel.  How do you define characters and give each of them a unique voice?  How do you choose a time period for your story and how does it affect the plot and lives of the characters?  Do you reveal histories at the beginning of the story, in little pieces as the story moves along, or leave some mystery for later stories?  How do you get the proper impact of various events across to the reader so it effects them the same way it effects you as you write?

One of the biggest challenges for me is writing just one story at a time.  Over my lifetime I have been struck by the thought of many ideas that would make good stories to tell.  Some of them are similar enough that they can be molded into one story.  Others are so vastly different they must each have their own tale.

For my current NaNoWriMo attempt I am writing a sequel to my first published book.  There are story elements I have been wanting to use in these and other sci-fi stories.  Relationships to develop, locations to discover, and things to happen in general.  Also taking up space in my mind is a story that comes from a world of magic and spells more than one of spaceships and lasers.  In order to clear out some of the extra clutter, I'm going to put some of the opening of the fantasy story here.  Maybe it will be my 2015 NaNoWriMo novel.

A robed figure slowly moves through a dark cavern.  The only source of light is a gentle glow from a large crystal in the center of the room.  The figure's features are hidden under the shadows of a deep hood.  He walks with a tall staff clutched in one aged hand.  Ancient runes seem to glow up and down the staff, reflecting the clear light from the crystal.  As he walks by the crystal, he reaches out his other gnarled hand to caress it as one would a longtime lover.  His voice, despite being as rough as a poorly maintained gravel road, clearly carried a degree of affection.  He speaks with certainty and conviction to the otherwise empty space.

"It is nearly time for us to rise again.  For centuries you have been building your reserves, growing in power, collecting the raw energy of life itself.  The eight recipients have been selected.  When the time is right they will be given access to you in order to bring about a new age.  They will be the beginning of real power returning to this world.  Power that is based on strength of mind and will instead of simple brute force and conniving manipulation.  Power the use of which can drain the user for a short time or eternally, depending on how it used.

"The chosen eight will gather others together and teach them to use this power.  Its use will quickly spread around the world.  Some will have a great talent and use their power for great things, others will only be capable of impressing small audiences with their simple flashes of skill.  Like other powers humanity has come across, some will use it for the betterment of those around them and others will use it only for themselves.  Some will us it for good, others for purely evil purposes.

"The power you have inside you was used many centuries ago.  Now it will be used again.  Magic will rise again on the Earth.  The modern age of electronics and technology will see the return of sorcery and magic.  Spellbooks will take their place alongside e-readers.  Teleportation will join driving and flying as a method of personal transportation.  The Digital Age will give way to The Age of Power"

The crystal's glow shifted as the man spoke.  It gives off a bright flash of light that fills the cavern as the man slowly ends his caress and removes his hand from the crystal.  He raises the staff and speaks an ancient word.  The robed figure vanishes from the cavern with no sign he was ever there.


With that piece of story out of the way, I have more room in my mind for my current tale.

That Time of Year

It is just over a week until the annual National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo, challenge begins.  The challenge is to write 50,000 words in 30 days.  Every November 1st writers across the country do their best to hide from the outside world and write their next, great novel.    

Phone calls go unanswered, emails go unread, FaceBook and Twitter posts drop off, DVRs get filled with unwatched episodes.  At the same time characters come to live, worlds are created, events occur on personal and interstellar levels, and stories are told.  Editing is ignored as writing is done in a near stream-of-consciousness method.  All of this in an effort to reach that elusive word count before time runs out.

The National Novel Writing Month website has many tools to help prospective authors wishing to undertake the challenge.  They have forums that allow authors to connect and share advice, story ideas, and offer up abandoned plots for someone else to run with.  There are also schedules with write-ins where writers can meet other local writers in person.  

The most important tool is the word counter.  This tool shows the total number of words written so far, the number of words remaining to reach 50,000, and how many words per day must be averaged to reach the target number.  Word counts can be submitted manually at the start of the month.  For full verification, an automatic counter is used by pasting story text in a counter on the site.

This year will be my third attempt.  During each of my previous tries I broke through 40,000 words, but was unable to reach 50,000.  This year may be no different, however I will still do my best to tell my story as completely as possible.  Here is a sample from my first NaNoWriMo attempt which I self-published as a book titled Dangerous Stars.

Hours later, Christian was returning to his quarters after another uneventful shift in the pilot's cabin. As he lay down on his bunk a light, tapping comes from his door. Samantha is standing there wearing only her jumpsuit and none of the usual clothing under it. In a sultry voice she asks, “Might I come in? The majority of my clothing is being cleaned and these halls are a little cold. Your quarters as so much closer and warmer than mine.”

Christian steps to the side of the doorway and gestures for Samantha to enter his quarters, excited anticipation lighting up his face. “By all means, please enter. We certainly can't allow the guests on our ship to become cold and uncomfortable.”

Samantha slinks into the room, Christian detecting a hint of an exotic perfume as she passes close to him. Christian is unable to take his eyes off Samantha as she slowly settles herself into his work table chair, her sensuality obvious in every movement and gesture. “I do hope I'm not interrupting anything important.”

Christian then returns to his bunk, stretching out leisurely, and picks up the printouts he had been studying when Samantha knocked on his door. He feigns interest in the pages before him, his mind clearly wandering to a figure other than the one represented by the numbers in front of his eyes. “Nothing important, just reviewing some notes on a personal project.”

Samantha speaks in a sultry voice as she gets up from the chair. “Then maybe you wouldn't mind a little bit more of an interruption. Recent ...occurrences have the ship in a dreary mood and I have an urgent desire to feel alive and full of pleasure.” One hand slowly unhooks the shoulder straps of her jumpsuit and allows the top to fall slightly. Only smooth, bare flesh is revealed underneath. She covers the short distance between the chair and Christian's bunk with two seductive strides. The motion of her hips causes the top of her jumpsuit to fall further, coming to a rest around her waist. Her entire upper body is now bare, the notes Christian had been studying gradually falling forgotten from his hand.

Samantha slowly climbs on top of Christian, her legs straddling him to either side. Leaning down and pressing her chest to his, she breathily whispers into his ear, “There is something I've wanted to do to you since I saw you on the research vessel.” He simply lays there, grinning, as she uses one hand to start pushing his shirt up his chest. She stops removing the shirt after his head is out but his arms remain in the short sleeves, effectively pinning his hand behind his head and leaving him at her mercy.

In his relaxed state, Christian fails to notice the sharp knife in Samantha's other hand as it emerges from behind her back. Once she has the blade pressed against his throat, he can no longer help but be aware of it. He is unable see the entire blade, but can see enough to know it is a simple knife stored in the galley for the rare times someone cooks by hand. Christian is very aware of the sharpness of the knife's blade, a deep swallow on his part would draw blood. He isn’t truly afraid, but he has never been quite this nervous in his life.

You can find Dangerous Stars in digital and print formats on Amazon.

Another Point of View

Story ideas seem to come out of nowhere.  During a typical day I was struck by the lightning bolt of a unique thought.  A story from an unusual point of view that I hadn't explored before.  It was a fun experience writing about the life of this individual.

I enjoy my life. Granted, I work hard every day, but so do the majority of those around me. Some of them are diggers that spend the majority of their daily lives with their faces down in the dirt. They dig out passages for traveling and clear out the chambers we use for storage and living quarters. Others spend all day and night caring for the young. Feeding them, cleaning them, making sure they are in a safe area, and carrying them from one place to another if absolutely necessary. The worst job around is sanitation. Those poor folks wander the hallways looking for the wastes other have just left lying around. They have to pick it up and carry it to the dump, an area that the rest of us avoid as much as possible.

I consider myself lucky to have one of the better jobs. I'm one of the ones responsible for our food. I get outside to sample the fresh air and light of the sun. When I look up, I see all the natural beauty this world has to offer. I am also one of the fortunate ones that gets to get the first taste when a new type of food is found. While I still have to share the food, I like to think my opinion of the taste shapes how many others will eat it and what they will think of it. If I don't like something, I let others know and almost none of them will get food there again. It is a heavy responsibility to have sometimes. It is also my privilege to carry particularly wonderful foods to the big boss and share it with her. That is the part of my job I enjoy the most. Getting to interact directly with the woman responsible for all of us being here.

Like I said, the majority of those around me work as hard as I do. It's the ones that don't work as hard that really upset me. It's the folks responsible for our security that do very little on any given day. They do hardly anything. They just stand around watching us work or strut up and down the Just because they are bigger, this is supposed to garner them more respect. They spend most of their time getting in the way of the rest of us working. We have to move around them and their larger size makes it that much more difficult.

The only time they actually do anything is when someone invades our territory. Then they mobilize and attack the invaders. Of course, they go back to doing nothing once the invaders are taken care of. Of course then my coworkers and I have extra work to do. We have to handle any corpses that may be laying around as well as our regular duties. The least the big guys could do is clean up their own messes. I realize they are important because they protect all of us. However, they could also help out with some of the rest of the work when they are not doing anything else.

All things considered, my life is good. I have a job I like and work with many others like me. I get to interact with our majestic leader. I get to experience wonderful sights, sounds, smells, and tastes all the time. Despite the routine nature of my job, no two days are exactly the same. Even though there are thousands just like me, I enjoy who I am.  Who ever would have thought being an ant could be so wonderful?

"Screen Scream"

The idea for a story can come from anywhere.  An offhand comment in a chat during an artist's streaming video can lead to an idea for a narrative.  This story comes from reminiscing about working with older computers and hearing the signature whine of an older monitor that is on.  

While forming the story a challenging thought occurred to me.  Develop a story without revealing the gender of the main character.  The easiest way to do this would be to simply repeat the character's name and not use any pronouns.  To me, that would be a cheat.  It takes more skill and thought to craft a tale without any he/she or his/hers.

Julian was one of those employees that bosses loved. Quiet, efficient, first one in last one out, getting work done enough before a deadline to pick up the slack left by other workers. Julian's body sat so stiff and erect at the desk, the office motion detectors would shut the lights off under the assumption that everyone had left for the night. It was a common occurrence for the night cleaning staff to happen across Julian writing code in a dark office, the only light coming from the computer screen and reflecting off Julian's face. Tonight was exceptional only in that the cleaning crews had finished all the offices scheduled for that day gone home.

Julian was nearing the end of this particular subroutine at an hour closer to dawn than dusk. A few more keystrokes, a couple clicks of a mouse, and a press of the ENTER key made with a sense of completion signaled the last of the necessary code being completed. Julian sat back and stretched, the lights blinking on as there was finally enough movement to trigger the sensors.

Julian initialized the compiler and set it on the new code to check for errors. Julian knew there wouldn't be any, but the executives upstairs insisted a compiler report accompany every piece of programming. It was a necessary task with some of the programmers that worked for this company, but Julian had yet to make a single error. Too much time and attention to detail was spent for that to happen.

Julian gave the room a look around as the code was crunched and checked. Every piece of equipment was the latest technology on the market. Top of the line monitors connected to network terminals accessing enough processing power to make the guys at NASA drool. The only exception was a single piece of equipment that sat on a pedestal in the middle of the office. It was a throwback computer that belonged in a museum, not the main work floor of a modern technology company. Its presence was a reminder of where the company had started. Julian found it a lot less creepy than some oil painting on the wall of some creepy dude leering at everyone while they worked.

Julian stood as the computer beeped that the compiler was finished. As expected, there were no errors with the entered code. A few clicks of the mouse emailed the necessary files to the executives upstairs. Then it was a simple matter of powering down the terminal and heading home for a long weekend of rest.

Turning towards the door to leave, Julian heard an odd yet familiar sound. It was a high-pitched electronic whine. The last time Julian heard that particular tone was during early computer courses. It was the sound of an old monitor that remained on after the attached computer was shut off. Julian had always thought of that sound as “screen scream.”

Julian looked around the room once again, searching for the source of the sound. All of the modern monitors automatically went to sleep when the terminal was shut down. That only left the classic computer that was on display in the middle of the room. However, Julian could clearly see the back of the display, and there was no power cord to the computer or monitor. Still, the screaming sound continued.

Julian walked around the old system without losing eye contact with the plastic case. Coming around to the front, Julian saw the monitor giving off the green glow that matched the sound of the screaming whine. The sight of a monitor glowing with no source of power made Julian begin to seriously consider taking an overdue vacation.

Julian noticed that the glowing screen wasn't blank. Blocks of shifting and changing pixels dominated the majority of the display. Underneath that three lines of programming code flashed by so fast Julian couldn't see enough to make any sense of it. After a minute Julian's eyes wandered up to the shifting picture above the lines of code. The random shifting pixels seemed to periodically form pictures for a second or two. Faces seemed to resolve in the green glow of the monitor before changing into random images again. The low resolution of the screen didn't allow Julian to recognize too many of the details of each face, but none of them looked particularly happy.

After a minute of hypnotic staring at the monitor and its strange projections, Julian slowly reached out to press the power button. A strange feeling came over Julian before any pressure could be applied to the switch to stop the display being shown. It was a feeling as though every hair on Julian's body was being lifted. They weren't standing up like on a chilly evening or during an emotional song. It was more a sensation like every hair was being pulled up by some external force.

Julian could no longer look away from the faces coming and going on the screen. As a matter of fact, the faces seemed to be getting larger and closer. All sensation seemed to be leaving Julian's body. Just an odd sense of floating remained as the faces that flashed on the screen became clearer and the high pitched scream from the monitor got louder.

Julian started to scream, the tone and pitch starting to blend and match with the scream of the screen. In a bright flash of green, both screams suddenly went silent. The office lights automatically shut off fifteen minutes later since the motion detectors hadn't sensed any movement during that time.

Julian couldn't see or feel anyone around. There was only a sense of many people crowded into a small space. There was an overwhelming darkness. All that was visible was random pieces of code that flittered around the air. Julian felt the desire to get someone's attention, to get some help leaving this other place. Maybe a loud enough scream would work..

Leave a comment below letting me know what you think of my first attempt at a suspenseful/horror story.

Work in Progress-- Post Exodus

There are many books available about the Apocalypse.  Some predict what will lead up to the end of mankind.  Others chronicle the struggles of humanity after the majority of civilization has been wiped out.  A few even tell the stories of those attempting to prevent or avoid the End of Times.

What if all the nations of the world came together to avoid a planet-wide tragedy that doesn't happen?  What happens to those that remained behind?  How will humanity survive and change for the next few generations?  

These are the questions I ponder on my current work in progress, Post Exodus.  A young man leaves his family farm lands to travel the country.  He visits small villages and towns delivering messages and carrying packages in exchange for supplies and a single night's shelter.  

 The piked heads on the road and the fact the vehicles were deliberately headed to this dead end told me that these people knew more about the area than I did. Some inner instinct told me that me being a messenger is something that would only be discovered after it was too late to save me from a fate similar to those back up the road. A sense of fear mixed with a degree of curiosity about the people that could perpetrate such violence and not wipe themselves out within a couple of years. I felt the need to see these people more closely yet do so from a discreet distance. I picked up my bike and carried it as I ran to the edge of the road. There were numerous trees on each side of the road, plenty of places for me to hide until the oncoming vehicles left. I managed to get myself and my bike out of sight before the roaring engines changed into visible vehicles. I could still see the disconnected ends of the bridge and areas around the opposite side from my hiding place. As long as nobody in the vehicles looked directly towards me, they wouldn't know I was even there.

As the vehicles came into sight I could tell they had been modified. The three cars and one pickup truck looked nothing like the abandoned cars and trucks I had seen around my hometown and parked on the sides of some of the larger highways I had ridden across. These had sheets of metal neatly attached over the windows. There was also a person armed with a machine gun sticking up out of the roof of each car. There were two guys standing carefully balanced in the back of the pickup. Each of them was armed with a machine gun in their hands and what appeared to be a shotgun holstered to their backs. Everybody I could see was carefully looking around. Their hands weren't gripping the triggers of their weapons, but they were held close enough to quickly fire off a few rounds at a second's notice. It was clear this was no simple group out for a leisurely drive. They clearly had violence in mind. What I couldn't figure out was who they intended to be so violent to. They were the only people I had seen in a week, there was nobody around for them to victimize.

I kept myself absolutely still as the vehicles approached the end of the road. A large individual got out of the lead car. He was both tall and stoutly built. He didn't so much step out the door as he extracted himself from the side of the car. He walked to the very edge of the road. The river was flowing strongly far below his feet. After a few seconds of staring across the water he turned to the vehicles, looked stonily at them, and turned back to the opposite side of the river. He bellowed in a voice that seemed to come from deep within the Earth itself. I could hear his words echoing off the far bank as clearly as though I was right in front of him. He was calling for someone named Jack to get his hands out of his pants and raise the God-damn bridge. The threats being made to Jack's person if he didn't get moving were enough to make my skin crawl. If I hadn't been doing my best to keep still and avoid notice, I would have cringed with each word on Jack's behalf.

Where were the Noah?

A few weeks ago I posted the beginning of a story inspired by a Tweet from artist Lar DeSouza.  This is the continuation of that story.

Many millennium had passed since the Noah had first visited this system. An unexpected communication from their home world forced them to return as soon as they had finished seeding the healthy planet with life. An unfortunate war with a violent reptilian species forced the recall of all exploratory vessels in the Noah's fleet. The reptiles grew to large sizes compared to most intelligent species. They had broad wings they used for gliding in some atmospheres. They had a unique ability to spray an acidic combination from their mouths that burned into most types of flesh. They used this talent for “breathing fire” sparingly and effectively.

Despite the extreme suffering on both sides, the war with the Drag'korns continued to this day. The reptiles had scouted the majority of the Noah's research stations and colonized worlds. The scaled advanced teams had left their mark on many worlds and developing civilizations. It seemed that the goal of the Drag'korns was to obliterate the entire Noah race and every other species they had encountered, the residents of this small remote planet included.

A craft very different than the one that had rescued all the life of a single planet now stealthily approached the planetary system's largest gas giant. This craft bristled with fewer protrusions of scientific equipment and more weapons pods and missile ports. The crew featured more battle hardened warriors than curious seekers of knowledge. Moving through the solar system, the ship less like a stray star and more like a darker spot hiding in the blackness of space.

The Noah had left behind a number of automated sensing devices and signal relays to keep them apprised of the growth and development of their unaware beneficiaries. They had made a number of technological advances. Despite this, they had not progressed far enough to break the bond to their adopted planetary home. They had sent probes beyond their solar system and remote vehicles to neighboring planets, but had no homes outside the moist atmosphere under which they resided.

The Noah's interstellar battleship rounded the gas giant and worked its way through the asteroid belt that sat between the fourth and fifth planets. They decided to make their presence known by broadcasting a message translated into a multitude of the languages their remote devices had broadcast back to the Noah's home world and scientific stations.

The message was in two parts. The first part assured the peoples of the planet that the Noah were peaceful and meant them no harm. It mentioned a number of places where evidence of their previous visit and benign nature could be found. The second part of the message warned of the approaching Drag'korns and that race's violent intentions. The reptilians would be arriving in a about the same amount of time it took the blue planet to orbit its sun two times. The dominant race had that time to decide as one if they wanted to be evacuated once again or stand and defend their home. The Noah would aid them in any way possible. However, major battles in other star systems and the remoteness of these planets from the galactic core limited the Noah to the single ship now present.

Once again, to be continued....

Challenge Accepted

A few days ago I posted a writing challenge on Twitter.  Being a fair-minded person, I felt I couldn't make a challenge without undergoing it myself.  Here is my simple story.  The words from my game with a friend are highlighted.

It was the greatest day of the solar cycle. The entire village was celebrating. The thumps of dancing feet mingled with the pounding of ceremonial drums. Musicians blew into their flutes and strummed their strings in a joyous ballad that lifted the hearts and raised the spirits of everyone around the large campfire. Hunters marked their chests and faces with bold colors drawn in intricate designs. All of this was to call forth the ancient gods to judge us and see if we were worthy of continued existence. If we were deemed unworthy, how quickly or extended our deaths would be depended on the god that decided we were no longer worth their attentions.

The bleating of goats was silenced as they were sacrificed on the altars of each of the gods. The village's shaman entered the light cast by the ceremonial fire. The glow from the flames reaching deep into her hood only when she drank from her tea. Ceremony and tradition demanded a brew that was made from haws that she alone could harvest and dice fine enough for this one night. The musicians reached their envoi as the village chief greeted the shaman to the ceremony. As the shaman passed the half full cup to the chief, her hands appeared to shrink to the size of a baby's as they nestled inside his large palms.

The shaman stepped up to each altar and offered a prayer to each god separately. She asked the mother god whose ova spawned us and the stars above for continuing new lives to be born from the women of the tribe and the species of the animals we hunted. She asked that our heavenly protector heft his axe above us in order to protect us from those that would harm us. Her request to the god within the mountain below us was simple. She requested that he keep his sloping grades gentle enough for our hunters to remain surefooted and his soils fertile enough for the trees in which we lived to continue to grow.

The final altar was for the god we all respected as well as feared. It was a god that we all wished to never meet, but were also aware of how necessary his presence was. She prayed to the god of death. She asked that he keep his scale balanced. She asked that he not let it tilt too far in his favor and kill us all. She also requested that he not let the balance go too far the other way. Too little death would put a drain on the resources around us and force the herds we relied on for food to move to more plentiful feeding grounds.

Finished with her pleas and requests, the shaman returned to the chief to collect her emptied cup. Only time would indicate whether or not she had been heard. Only when the sun once again rested on the tip of the correct peak four seasons form now would we know if this ceremony had achieved its goals.

Most of these words were easy enough to incorporate into a story.  I will admit that I had to look a couple of them up in order to know how to fold them into the narrative.  Ultimately I look on this as a way to expand both my vocabulary and flex a few more creative muscles.

If you happen to hear about or know of any other writing challenges, please let everyone know in the comments or drop me a note on Twitter.

Getting Ready

One of the key things to do when writing is getting prepared and comfortable.  Some people find the right music to fit their style.  Others play classic cheesy movies in order to set their mood.  Still more people prefer near silence in order to focus their thoughts on their literary creations.  I have my own method of stimulating my brain and getting my creative juices flowing.

One universal requirement for my writings is a full stomach.  I find nothing more distracting than a grumbling stomach when I am trying to form words from the images in my mind.  Sometimes this means a healthy breakfast, but more commonly it is accomplished with a large lunch and unhealthy snack.  With a full stomach, I am nearly ready to settle in and begin my literary creating.

With a tall glass of water or bottle of homemade soda, I settle into my large chair, pull out my laptop, and start getting myself ready to create.  After a brief check of social media and email accounts for any happenings for the day, I start up Open Office for word processing, and a video streaming window.

What I stream depends on who I am writing for.  A television series that I have seen a number of times is the preferred option if I am writing a freelance article that require some research.  Shows such as Firefly, Star Trek, Doctor Who, and Airwolf fit the bill well.  The familiarity of these shows mean that I don't need to pay much attention to it and can focus more of my mind on comprehending the information being researched.  I am also able to judge how much time has been spent on each article based on how many episodes have passed.

Because material for my own books comes entirely from me, I will stream a movie or series I haven't seen but isn't necessarily one I have a major desire to see.  The "cheese" factor of many of the movies made for the SyFy network and episodes of Mystery Science Theater 3000 are perfect for a happy mindset while forming a story that is uniquely my own.  The general entertainment value lets me keep the outside world at bay without influencing the shape or tone of what I am attempting to write.

I entertain myself with more captivating shows and movies while composing these blog posts.  The content of these posts has been developing during my downtime for days or weeks.  Pieces coming to me while driving to work or settling in for the night.  Shows such as Continuum, Arrow, and Dexter as well as the new generation of Star Trek and Marvel movies maintain a flow that helps me arrange and shape the various thoughts in my mind.

Who were the Noah?

I am an avid fan of the webcomics by the duo of Ryan Sohmer and Lar DaSouza, Least I Could Do and Looking For Group.  One quiet day Lar tweeted a thought about the human race being saved by an alien race called the Noah instead of a single person from the Bible.  This got my story juices mixing.  After some time simmering on the back burner, there are a few story elements my brain cooked up.

A single star moves itself out of alignment with the others.  This goes unnoticed by the bipedal beings struggling to survive in an environment that is worsening by the day.  Weather systems shifted and changed in random patterns.  Plants were dying from both unseasonal temperatures and a subtle change in the composition of the air.  If any of the creatures living on the planet could consider such things, they would realize their planet would become a desert in less than a year.  Without anyone realizing it, that single errant star was on its way to rescue them all.

The star was a transport ship belonging to a race known as the Noah.  They were a species that had evolved deep in the waters of a planet with very little land on its surface.  It was only a small step for their curious race to leave their planet's gravity once they had developed a craft that could break the surface of their oceanic home.  They had spread out through the stars in search of more planets with large enough oceans for them to colonize.  It was considered a stroke of fortune when a small survey team of Noah had found this system.  The third planet in the system had ample oceans with sufficient depth for a colony to be established.  There was also a number of developing species on the fourth planet that could be studied for many generations.  At least that was the plan before it was discovered the fourth planet's atmosphere was quickly dissolving.  The mission was now one of mercy instead of scientific study.

The clan leader of the ship looked over the report in front of him.  Specimens of intelligent and semi-intelligent species had been collected.  Enough of each for sufficient genetic diversity as they bred and grew in numbers.  He had spent many hours watching the aquatic mammals they had collected frolic in their tanks as the giant ship transported them between the planets.  DNA samples of the lesser species had been collected.  Once they arrived at the destination, these animals were reconstituted from the samples into living creatures.

One thing on the report caught the clan leader's attention.  An error had developed in the memory buffer of the system responsible for the reconstitution.  Small fragments of DNA data had remained in the buffer after the sequence had been completed on a number of different species.  Somehow these had combined to form a combined creature with functioning aspects of a number of other animals.  It was a mammal yet would birth its young in eggs.  It could walk on land yet was semi-aquatic and built for swimming.  The leader decided to allow this odd creature to continue to exist out of a sense of curiosity.  It would be interesting to see how this creature and its offspring would be viewed by the rest of the world.

To be continued......